Launching on 21 May, a new ‘Help Play Find A Way’ campaign from Australian and New Zealand betting brand TAB aims to do its bit to bring sport back to the fans by encouraging Aussies to download the government’s COVIDSafe contact tracing app.
Developed with agency M&C Saatchi, the work is a direct appeal to drive fans to the app download site (https://www.health.gov.au/resources/apps-and-tools/covidsafe-app).
The initiative comes after the Australian government flagged a direct correlation between the number app downloads and further easing of restrictions, so TAB ‘s objective is to remind and encourage sports fans from across the country that downloading the app something they themselves can do in order to speed the return of the sports they love.
TAB aims to encourage sports supporters and racing fans to put aside their differences by emphasising that it’s not about which sport you love, which team you support or which horse you back, it’s about doing what you can to bring back to the thing you miss most – watching your favourite racing or sport with your favourite people.
Launched on 17 May, the campaign is led by a hero film and will initially run across press and social channels and TAB hopes it will encourage a further five million people to download the COVIDSafe app.
https://twitter.com/tabcomau/status/1248128509936951296
https://twitter.com/tabcomau/status/1262921424882200577
This was supported by content running in the national press which included a QR-enabled ‘footy pie’ which, when scanned, leads directly to the COVIDSafe landing page.
This was then followed up by ‘Requiem For A Pie’ TV commercial which laments that whilst the footy might be back soon, the fans’ rightful place in the stands is yet to be restored.
The television ad launched on 27 May 24 hours ahead of Thursday’s night NRL season return.
Further activations are planned to roll out ahead of the AFL season restart.
“TAB believes in the power of sport to raise spirits in the community and provide a sense of fun and connection in challenging times; and these are certainly challenging times for so many Australians,” explained Tabcorp Managing Director Adam Rytenskild. “Last year we relaunched the TAB brand campaign – Long May We Play. Never has this been more true, with Aussies craving their favourite sport and the ability to enjoy it with their mates, so we are encouraging as many people as possible to help play find a way.”
M&C Saatchi Chief Creative Officer Cam Blackley added: “There’s not many sport nuts that aren’t dying to be reunited with a hot pie or overpriced bucket of chips in the stands right now. Having TAB lend its weight to hit the 10 million downloads target of COVIDSafe to achieve that goal allows this iconic brand to once again elevate the conversation above the bet (albeit with tongue wedged firmly in cheek). It’s ambitious but worth a shot.”
The campaign was created for TAB EGM Marketing, Customer & Product Luke Waldren, Head of Brand and Marketing Kent Madders, General Manager Media & Sponsorship John Vellis, Senior Marketing Manager Jonathon Rhydderch and Marketing Manager (Sport) David Marsh by M&C Saatchi.
The creative agency team included Chief Creative Officer Cam Blackley, Creative Director Doug Hamilton, Head of Art Chris Cheeseman, Craft Designer Matthew Harrington, Creative Technologist Simon Kent, Acting Head of Strategy Nick Jacobs, Group Head Jasmina Porter, Senior Account Director Will Woods, Senior Account Manager Joshua Johns, Account Manager Kurt Griffin, Project Director Dean Trendler, Senior TV Producer Ros Payne, Senior Broadcast Producer Lill Schroeder and Lead Print Producer Greg Hyslop.
The production company was Revolver/ Will O’Rourke with Director Matt Devine, Managing Director/Executive Producer Michael Ritchie, Executive Producer Pip Smart, Producer Alex Kember, DOP Stefan Duscio, Editing Company ARC Edit and Editor Dan Lee, while the media agency was OMD Australia.
Comment:
Sports marketers around the world are wrestling with decisions about how to market and activate as lockdowns begin to ease and sports starts to return.
Key questions range from how to respond to games played behind-closed-doors in empty stadiums (from tarp ads, watch parties and virtual tailgating in the USA, to cardboard fan cut-outs and shirt/scarf tifos in Germany and even sex dolls in South Korea) and, of course, any industry with an interest in crowds and mass gatherings is going to have its own take on tracking apps.
Of course, privacy is a huge issue when it comes to downloading apps, especially ones governments have created at speed.
But TAB has made it clear where it stands on the subject with this campaign: if encouraging more app downloads can bring back sport then the bookie is all for it.
This COVID-19 campaign is built on TAB’s ‘Long May We Play’ brand platform which celebrates how racing and sport play on long before, and after, the horses run past the post or the final whistle is blow or the siren sounds.
The strategic positioning seeks to highlight what makes racing and sport special based on the idea that it’s not the results on the field or at the track, but rather how it plays on in our lives.
“Long May We Play’ aims to celebrate and recognises the huge role racing and sport play in the lives of Australians and their ability to bring us together and positions TAB as a ‘home ground’ of sorts for Aussies for decades – be that at the track or in one of our venues.
Running across multiple platforms, from OOH and print, to bus stops, social, digital, at-event and broadcast, it seeks to be a brand platform based on the spirit of Australians: reflecting the deep connection the country has with racing and sport in all its iterations and the value that TAB brings well beyond just a bet.
Links:
TAB
https://www.youtube.com/user/tabnzealand
https://www.facebook.com/TheRacesNZ/
https://www.instagram.com/tab.nz/
M&C Saatchi
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